What's new
What's new

Looking for ID and OD grind shop

mneuro

Cast Iron
Joined
Sep 15, 2014
Location
Denver
All,

We have a couple vendors we work with for ID and OD grinding, but we have been having all sorts of issues getting our parts back from those vendors. Seems like lead times have doubled, but even with the extended lead times, delivery dates are not met.

So we are now looking for another shop or two that is capable of high precision ID and OD grinding. Typical tolerances are ±.0001". Lot sizes are typically less than 10 pcs.

I wouldn't be a big dollar customer. So far this year, my outside grind for trouble vendors has only been about $40k.

Prefer a shop in the midwest, but open to any recommendations that are in the USA.

Thank you
 
Maybe bring it in-house. It's not that hard, at $40,000 a year you'd pay off a couple of grinders pretty fast. Just don't make the mistake of trying to use a single combo machine - get a real i.d. grinder and a real o.d. grinder. Could possibly even go cnc on the o.d. machine for not that much money. (Although for ten pieces at a time I wouldn't bother, manual is simple and no electronics to break). On i.d. with ten piece lots, a 273A Heald toolroom is a good bet.
 
Maybe bring it in-house. It's not that hard, at $40,000 a year you'd pay off a couple of grinders pretty fast. Just don't make the mistake of trying to use a single combo machine - get a real i.d. grinder and a real o.d. grinder. Could possibly even go cnc on the o.d. machine for not that much money. (Although for ten pieces at a time I wouldn't bother, manual is simple and no electronics to break). On i.d. with ten piece lots, a 273A Heald toolroom is a good bet.

We were doing it in house historically. We have a Studer OD grinder, and several jig grind machines. We still do jig grinding in house.

It is has been a huge effort in frustration trying to find anyone to replace the grinders who have retired. Asking a young person to learn how to run a mid century manual grinder is a waste of time. They have no interest. We are getting into CNC surface grinding, but we dont have the budget for a CNC ID/OD grinder for the next couple years. So I need a bridge.
 
Have you considered a used CNC grinder? As a side note, before going full time on my own in my garage shop, I was programming/running a couple Studers (S40 and S41), a large Usach, and Danobat. The CNC Studers are awesome! Granted, our parts were considerably larger, with the larger ones pushing 900lbs... (not in the Studers for those real big ones).
 
It is has been a huge effort in frustration trying to find anyone to replace the grinders who have retired. Asking a young person to learn how to run a mid century manual grinder is a waste of time. They have no interest.
Really ? Shows you how stupid young people are, I always thought that was the nicest job in the shop. Now you know why it's hard to get parts ground, I guess.

Find a retired guy who wants to dream away the day for beer money ?
 
Have you considered a used CNC grinder? As a side note, before going full time on my own in my garage shop, I was programming/running a couple Studers (S40 and S41), a large Usach, and Danobat. The CNC Studers are awesome! Granted, our parts were considerably larger, with the larger ones pushing 900lbs... (not in the Studers for those real big ones).

We have for sure. The money just isnt there right now. We bought a new EDM wire machine, 5th axis mill, 3 axis mill, 20x40 manual surface grinder, and a 24x48 CNC surface grinder this year. A CNC OD grinder isnt in the cards for at least another year.
 
Really ? Shows you how stupid young people are, I always thought that was the nicest job in the shop. Now you know why it's hard to get parts ground, I guess.

Find a retired guy who wants to dream away the day for beer money ?

A sexy CNC controller seems to be what it takes to get the young people working. We got really lucky with two young guys on our manual grinders. It is a lot of fun to watch a guy with 2 years of experience grind to .00004" flatness. But finding more guys like them is easier said than done.

A retired guy would be great, but just as hard to find as anyone else. We are trying some alternative methods to find new people, but it all takes time.
 
You know, for ten parts ? I'd probably be done with the job on a manual before the nc finished the first one ...

EG, I am guessing you are from an older generation. I hear that all the time but rarely see anyone step up to the plate. I think if it was just a straight OD grind with ±.0001 that may be true. We are often coming up to a shoulder that we have to hold, or a taper, or transition point, etc. Even at the low quantities, it takes a lot of skill to get things right.

The bigger issue, given that I cannot find a new person to hire for this type of work, is that I would have to take someone away from what they are really good at to grind. It is a rob peter to pay paul kind of situation.
 
Try Sheldon Precision Grinding in Corona, Ca.. OD grinders, ID grinders, CNC, Manual. Travis Sheldon is the contact.
 
Did you have to rub it in ?

Too bad you're not on the coast, I'd be happy to come in a couple days a week and diddle with some grinding ... as long as I still get my 4:00 nap :D

Must be someone nearby who'd like to earn pin money ?


As anyone in the industry knows, finding good people is hard, and even harder when the work you do requires a true machinist. The right person will come along eventually.
 
Have you searched through Thomas Register?

There are grinder shops in Detroit, and I'm sure Cleveland.

I have a customer that gets some parts that I make ID ground in the Greater Detroit area somewhere.
Whether they are into your tols or not - I wouldn't have a clue.

If you don't find a place that you are looking for, I can ask him.


------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 








 
Back
Top